"D--Did you SEE that!?" He said, launching himself from the evening fire, Celeste nearly choking on her meal of beans and cornbread.
"What the hell ya' screamin' fer?!" She wiped her mouth, trying to catch her breath when, suddenly, Atriel began to run furiously into the shadow of the trees after whatever mysterious thing he saw. Befuddled, Celeste tried to run after him, dodging around trees and rocks, trying not to lose her footing. "Atriel, would you stop!?"
But it was no good. He was on a mission and it was apparent he wouldn't stop until he caught up with whatever it was.
Back at the camp, a sleepy vampire emerged into the clearing where the fire was crackling a pleasant and welcoming warmth when he realized his traveling companions were nowhere in sight. Rubbing his eyes he raised his head in an attempt to hear or see anything but was at a loss: Where could they have possibly gone and without their stuff?
"AAAAHHHH MY GOD--!!!" he heard Celeste scream from somewhere in the distance and ran in that direction; she sounded angry. He couldn't quite make out the rest of what she was saying but he DID hear various curse words and other choice language. He came to a sudden halt when he found them, Celeste fuming with her hands clenched to her side as she hovered over a hunched Atriel. He was staring at something with his head down. The vampire caught Celeste's attention, her eyes holding back angry tears and face full of embarrassment.
"Dare I ask what's going on...?" he asked. Celeste pointed indignantly at the back of Atriel's head who hadn't moved at all, only hunched over but the vampire heard him say: "I caught you..."
"IT'S JUST A DAMN SQUIRREL!" Celeste screamed even louder before turning back to the vampire and huffed, her hands waving up and down in a passion, pointing, her breath increasing in intensity. "Ohanzee. Please."
Ohanzee's eyes widened before leaning over Atriel's back and, sure enough, he was clutching a beady-eyed squirrel who, surprisingly, didn't seem to be as scared as the little critter should have been. He sputtered before tilting his head back, roaring with laughter.
Celeste watched, horrified, as he clutched both of his sides trying to keep himself from falling over.
"Wha--what!?" Ohanzee managed to ask in between breaths.
"I thought it was a demon..." Atriel said, hanging his head down lower.
"Are you off yer nut? ARE YOU OFF YER NUT!?" Celeste stomped her foot before trying to kick Ohanzee in the shin for laughing at the predicament instead of being useful. "It's just a dang varmint!"
Atriel stood, turning on his heels with the little critter in his hands and used it to point at both of his companions.
"One of these days you will thank me for my diligence." He protested but Celeste wasn't having it. She turned to Ohanzee who was still chortling to himself; this was too much for him.
"You gonna help me or bray like a rotten mule!?"
"Oh, no. This is all you, white woman." He said, waving his hand at her but as soon as he was going to continue to poke fun at the situation, an unnatural darkness began to form in the shadows around them. Both she and Ohanzee's eyes grew the size of saucers before looking at each other and then glancing back at Atriel.
"Well, would you look at that--" He said, clutching the animal closer to his chest. "There WAS something foul in the shadows...and not just this filthy blood-drinker."
It was the chasing squirrel thing that sold me.
Also, forgive my grammar. I need to hire an editor.